High-voltage relay

ABSTRACT

A high-voltage relay is provided in which the operating components of the relay are enclosed in a sealed envelope which may be evacuated, for example, or filled with a pressurized dielectric gas. The relay is constructed to include an elongated envelope formed of glass, or other vitreous or electrically insulating material, and which has electrical terminals extending through the envelope at the side of the envelope and at one end, so as to provide good insulation from the grounded electromagnetic actuating components at the other end of the relay, in order that the relay may be operated at high voltages.

United States Patent m1 3,627,961

[72] inventor Victor E. DeLucia 3,250,886 5/1966 DeLucia et al. 335/151 Los Angeles, Calif. 3,275,776 9/1966 DeLucia 200/144 B [21] Appl. No. 40,531 [22] Filed May 26, 1970 [45] Patented Dec. 14,1971 1 73] Assignee Torr Laboratories, Inc.

u ABSTRACT: A high-voltage relay is provided in which the opera ing components of the relay are enclosed in a sealed envelope which may be evacuated, for example, or filled with a pressurized dielectric gas. The relay is constructed to include Primary Examiner-Robert S. Macon Attorney-Jessup & Beecher [54] HIGH-VOLTAGE RELAY zclaims 1 Drawing an elongated envelope formed of glass, or other vitreous or [52] U.S.Cl 200/144 B, electrically insulating material, and which has electrical ter- 335/154 minals extending through the envelope at the side of the en- [51] Int. Cl. ..ll01h33/66 velope and at one end, so as to provide good insulation from [50] Field of Search 200/144 B; the grounded electromagnetic actuating components at the 335/151-154 other end of the relay, in order that the relay may be operated at high voltages. 561 I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,834,847 5/1958 Jennings 200/1448 HIGH-VOLTAGE RELAY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The relay of the present invention incorporates some of the features of the heart defribrillator relay described in US. Pat. No. 3,250,886 which issued May 10, 1966 in the name of Victor E. De Lucia et al. Like the relay of the aforesaid patent, the relay of the present invention is constructed to operate over extended intervals of time at extremely high voltages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Thesingle FIGURE is a side elevation of a relay constructed in accordance with the concepts and teachings of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION or THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT The illustrated relay includes a first elongated tubularshaped envelope formed of glass, or other appropriate vitreous material. The relay also includes a second tubularshaped envelope 12 which is sealed to the envelope 10 between the ends of the envelope I0, and which extends radially outwardly with respect to .the envelope 10. The envelope 12 may also be formed of glass or other appropriate vitreous material, and it defines a common internal chamber with the envelope l0.

As mentioned above, the internal chamber may be evacuated, or it may be filled with a pressurized dielectric gas. A first terminal rod I4 extends through the upper end of the envelope l0 and down into the envelope in coaxial relationship therewith. The lower extremity of the first terminal rod 14 is positioned adjacent the axis of the tubular envelope 12. A second terminal rod 16 extends into the tubular envelope 12 from one end thereof, and it is supported in coaxial relationship with the tubular envelope 12.

A movable contact 18 is hinged to the terminal rod 16 in much the same manner as described in the aforesaid patent, so that an electric path is established from the terminal rod 16 to the movable contact 18. The movable contact 18 extends across the lower extremity of the terminal rod 14 for selective contact therewith, as the movable contact 18 is moved up and down, from one angular position to the other with respect to the axis of rotation of the aforesaid hinge.

An electromagnetic actuator 19 is mounted at the lower end of the envelope 10, as shown. The electromagnetic actuator may include a usual electrical energizing coil and associated magnetic core structure. The magnetic core structure extends into the interior of the envelope 10, as designated 20, and an armature 22 is hinged to the magnetic core structure 20. The armature 22 is normally spring biased to the illustrated tilted position by means, for example, of a spring 24.

A connecting rod 26 intercouples the armature 22 to the movable contact 18, so that movement of the armature 22 from one operative position to the other. as the electromagnetic actuator 18 is energized, causes the movable contact 18 to move in and out of electrical contact with the lower extremity of the rod 14. The connecting rod 26 may be composed, for example, of a first metallic rod 26a which is pivotally coupled to the movable contact 18, and a second rod 26b which is pivotally coupled to the armature 22. An intermediate rod 260 is sealed to the rods 26a and 26b. The intermediate rod 260 may be formed of glass, or other appropriate insulating material. I

It will be evident from a consideration of the illustration and of the foregoing description, that the operating contacts of the relay are displaced a relatively large distance from the grounded relay actuator at the lower end of the relay, and that appropriate insulation is-provided, so that the relay may be operated at high voltages. The relay also has the advantage in that it is simple and rugged in its construction, and extremely reliable in its operation.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications may be made. It is intended in the following claims to cover all modifications which come within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: l. A relay including: a first elongated tubular-shaped envelope; a second tubular-shaped envelope afiixed to said first envelope intermediate the ends thereof and extending radially outwardly with respect to said first envelope, said first and second envelopes defining a common sealed internal chamber; a first terminal rod extending through one end of said first envelope and supported thereby in coaxial relationship with said first envelope; a second terminal rod extending through the end of said second envelope and supported thereby in coaxial relationship with said second envelope; a movable contact hinged to the inner end of said second terminal rod in electrically conductive relationship therewith and extending from said inner end across the lower extremity of said first terminal rod selectively to contact said extremity; an electromagnetic actuator mounted at the other end of said first tubular-shaped envelope; an armature mounted within said first envelope adjacent said actuator to be selectively moved thereby between first and second operative positions; a

connecting rod coupled to said movable contact and to said armature for causing said movable contact selectively to contact said extremity of said first terminal rod as said armature is moved from one of its operative positions to the other, and which includes a magnetic core structure incorporated in said actuator and extending into the interior of said first envelope, and in which said armature is hinged to said core structure and normally spring biased to a tilted position with respect thereto.

2. The relay defined in claim 1, in which said connecting rod comprises a first metallic rod pivotally coupled to said movable contact, a second metallic rod pivotally connected to said armature, and an intermediate rod sealed to said first and second metallic rods and formed of an insulating material.

i i i I! 

1. A relay including: a first elongated tubular-shaped envelope; a second tubular-shaped envelope affixed to said first envelope intermediate the ends thereof and extending radially outwardly with respect to said first envelope, said first and second envelopes defining a common sealed internal chamber; a first terminal rod extending through one end of said first envelope and supported thereby in coaxial relationship with said first envelope; a second terminal rod extending through the end of said second envelope and supported thereby in coaxial relationship with said second envelope; a movable contact hinged to the inner end of said second terminal rod in electrically conductive relationship therewith and extending from said inner end across the lower extremity of said first terminal rod selectively to contact said extremity; an electromagnetic actuator mounted at the other end of said first tubular-shaped envelope; an armature mounted within said first envelope adjacent said actuator to be selectively moved thereby between first and second operative positions; a connecting rod coupled to said movable contact and to said armature for causing said movable contact selectively to contact said extremity of said first terminal rod as said armature is moved from one of its operative positions to the other, and which includes a magnetic core structure incorporated in said actuator and extending into the interior of said first envelope, and in which said armature is hinged to said core structure and normally spring biased to a tilted position with respect thereto.
 2. The relay defined in claim 1, in which said connecting rod comprises a first metallic rod pivotally coupled to said movable contact, a second metallic rod pivotally connected to said armature, and an intermediate rod sealed to said first and second metallic rods and formed of an insulating material. 